בָּלַע
𐤁𐤋𐤏
bâlaʻ
H1104 verb
SILEX Entry
Definition
To swallow, engulf, or consume entirely. This verb is used both in literal contexts (such as the physical swallowing of food or objects) and figuratively to express destruction, obliteration, or being overwhelmed. In some contexts, it denotes the act of disappearing or vanishing as if being swallowed up.
Semantic Range
to swallow literally, to engulf entirely, to consume, to annihilate or destroy (especially in metaphor), to be brought to an end, to disappear (as if swallowed), to devour
Root / Etymology
The verb derives from the root בלע, meaning 'to swallow' or 'to engulf.' While the root has the core physical sense of swallowing, it functions in broader metaphorical senses related to consumption and destruction in derived forms.
Historical & Contextual Notes
בָּלַע is attested throughout the Hebrew Bible, with its most common use describing the swallowing action—either of animate entities (e.g., animals, people) or of inanimate ones (such as earth swallowing Korah’s company in Numbers 16:32). In poetic and prophetic texts, it is frequently employed metaphorically for catastrophic destruction (e.g., death 'swallowing up' or defeat in battle). In the patriarchal narratives, usage is generally literal, reflecting everyday actions. In monarchic and prophetic periods, the metaphorical extension develops, associated with acts of divine judgment or overwhelming calamity. It overlaps partially with terms like אכל (to eat), especially in contexts relating to consumption, but בלע is unique for its imagery of complete engulfment without trace. Standard English translations, with terms like 'swallow up' or 'destroy,' may not always capture the vivid, often totalizing imagery inherent in the Hebrew.
Translation Consistency
Most common and natural rendering across occurrences (19x "swallowed" + 14x "swallow"). "Swallow" covers the literal sense (eat/ingest) and the frequent figurative senses (engulf, consume, be swallowed up, vanish) by using constructions like "swallow up" or passive forms ("be swallowed"). More formal alternatives (e.g., "devour" or "engulf") are narrower or less idiomatic, so "swallow" best fits the typical usage and will yield natural English across all forms.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
a primitive root; to make away with (specifically by swallowing); generally, to destroy; cover, destroy, devour, eat up, be at end, spend up, swallow down (up).
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been recorded for this word yet.
Root Family
בלע (Bela) — to swallow, devour, engulf
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H1105 | בֶּלַע | his swallowed-portion |
| H1106 | בֶּלַע | Bela |
| H1108 | בַּלְעִי | the Belaite |
Word Forms
42 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H1104-07 |
בִּלַּ֤ע | bila | HVpp3ms |
he has swallowed up | he utterly engulfed | he utterly swallowed | 4 |
H1104-30 |
וַ/תִּבְלַ֥ע | vativela | HC/Vqw3fs |
and swallowed | and she swallowed | and it swallowed | 3 |
H1104-03 |
בָּ֭לַע | bala | HVqp3ms |
Destroy | Swallower | Swallower | 2 |
H1104-38 |
יְבַלְּעֶ֥/נּוּ | yevaleenu | HVpi3ms/Sp3ms |
it-swallows-him | He will engulf him | He will swallow him | 2 |
H1104-39 |
יְבֻלַּ֣ע | yevula | HVPi3ms |
be swallowed up | he will be engulfed | he will be engulfed | 2 |
H1104-01 |
אֲבַלַּ֖ע | avala | HVpi1cs |
I swallow up | I will utterly engulf | I will utterly engulf | 1 |
H1104-02 |
אֲבַלֵּ֑עַ | avalea | HVpi1cs |
I-will-swallow-up | I will swallow up | I will swallow up | 1 |
H1104-04 |
בְּלָעַ֨/נִי֙ | belaani | HVqp3ms/Sp1cs |
swallowed-me | he engulfed me | he swallowed me | 1 |
H1104-05 |
בְּלָע֑וּ/נוּ | belaunu | HVqp3cp/Sp1cp |
they would have swallowed us | they swallowed us | they would have swallowed us | 1 |
H1104-06 |
בְּ/בַלַּ֥ע | bevala | HR/Vpc |
when devouring | in utterly engulfing | in swallowing | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
50 occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H1104-33 |
Genesis 41:7 | וַ/תִּבְלַ֨עְנָה֙ | vativelaenah | HC/Vqw3fp |
and they swallowed | and they swallowed up | and they swallowed up |
H1104-32 |
Genesis 41:24 | וַ/תִּבְלַ֨עְןָ֙ | vativelaena | HC/Vqw3fp |
and swallowed | they swallowed | they swallowed |
H1104-34 |
Exodus 7:12 | וַ/יִּבְלַ֥ע | vayivela | HC/Vqw3ms |
but swallowed up | he swallowed | and it swallowed |
H1104-24 |
Exodus 15:12 | תִּבְלָעֵ֖/מוֹ | tivelaemo | HVqi3fs/Sp3mp |
swallowed them | she will swallow them | she swallowed them |
H1104-12 |
Numbers 4:20 | כְּ/בַלַּ֥ע | kevala | HR/Vpc |
like a swallow | as devouring | as swallowing |
H1104-27 |
Numbers 16:30 | וּ/בָלְעָ֤ה | uvaleah | HC/Vqq3fs |
and swallows | and she swallowed | and it swallows |
H1104-30 |
Numbers 16:32 | וַ/תִּבְלַ֥ע | vativela | HC/Vqw3fs |
and swallowed | and she swallowed | and it swallowed |
H1104-26 |
Numbers 16:34 | תִּבְלָעֵ֖/נוּ | tivelaenu | HVqi3fs/Sp1cp |
swallow us | she will swallow us | it will swallow us |
H1104-30 |
Numbers 26:10 | וַ/תִּבְלַ֥ע | vativela | HC/Vqw3fs |
and swallowed | and she swallowed | and it swallowed |
H1104-31 |
Deuteronomy 11:6 | וַ/תִּבְלָעֵ֥/ם | vativelaem | HC/Vqw3fs/Sp3mp |
and swallowed them | she swallowed them | she swallowed them |
H1104-39 |
2 Samuel 17:16 | יְבֻלַּ֣ע | yevula | HVPi3ms |
be swallowed up | he will be engulfed | he will be engulfed |
H1104-21 |
2 Samuel 20:19 | תְבַלַּ֖ע | tevala | HVpi2ms |
will you swallow up | you will utterly swallow up | will you swallow up |
H1104-01 |
2 Samuel 20:20 | אֲבַלַּ֖ע | avala | HVpi1cs |
I swallow up | I will utterly engulf | I will utterly engulf |
H1104-11 |
Isaiah 3:12 | בִּלֵּֽעוּ | bileu | HVpp3cp |
they confuse | they swallowed up | they confused |
H1104-16 |
Isaiah 9:15 | מְבֻלָּעִֽים | mevulaim | HVPsmpa |
swallowed up | fully engulfed ones | engulfed ones |
H1104-02 |
Isaiah 19:3 | אֲבַלֵּ֑עַ | avalea | HVpi1cs |
I-will-swallow-up | I will swallow up | I will swallow up |
H1104-28 |
Isaiah 25:7 | וּ/בִלַּע֙ | uvila | HC/Vpq3ms |
and-he-will-swallow-up | and he engulfed completely | and it will swallow up |
H1104-07 |
Isaiah 25:8 | בִּלַּ֤ע | bila | HVpp3ms |
He will swallow up | he utterly engulfed | he utterly swallowed |
H1104-41 |
Isaiah 28:4 | יִבְלָעֶֽ/נָּה | yivelaenah | HVqi3ms/Sp3fs |
he swallows it | he will swallow her | he will swallow her |
H1104-20 |
Isaiah 28:7 | נִבְלְע֣וּ | niveleu | HVNp3cp |
they are confused | they were swallowed up | they were swallowed up |
H1104-15 |
Isaiah 49:19 | מְבַלְּעָֽיִ/ךְ | mevaleayikhe | HVprmpc/Sp2fs |
those who swallowed you up | your engulfing ones | your engulfing ones |
H1104-35 |
Jeremiah 51:34 | בלע/נו | vlnv | HVqp3ms/Sp1cp |
swallowed-us | he swallowed us | he swallowed us |
H1104-04 |
Jeremiah 51:34 | בְּלָעַ֨/נִי֙ | belaani | HVqp3ms/Sp1cs |
swallowed-me | he engulfed me | he swallowed me |
H1104-42 |
Hosea 8:7 | יִבְלָעֻֽ/הוּ | yivelauhu | HVqi3mp/Sp3ms |
they swallow it up | they will swallow him | they will swallow it |
H1104-18 |
Hosea 8:8 | נִבְלַ֖ע | nivela | HVNp3ms |
is swallowed up | was swallowed | is swallowed up |
H1104-14 |
Jonah 2:1 | לִ/בְלֹ֖עַ | liveloa | HR/Vqc |
to swallow | to swallow | to swallow |
H1104-06 |
Habakkuk 1:13 | בְּ/בַלַּ֥ע | bevala | HR/Vpc |
when devouring | in utterly engulfing | in swallowing |
H1104-37 |
Psalms 21:10 | יְבַלְּעֵ֑/ם | yevaleem | HVpi3ms/Sp3mp |
He will swallow them up | he will engulf them | he will swallow them up |
H1104-08 |
Psalms 35:25 | בִּֽלַּעֲנֽוּ/הוּ | bilaanuhu | HVpp1cp/Sp3ms |
we have swallowed him up | we have engulfed him | we have swallowed him up |
H1104-03 |
Psalms 55:10 | בַּלַּ֣ע | bala | HVpv2ms |
Destroy | Swallower | Swallower |
H1104-25 |
Psalms 69:16 | תִּבְלָעֵ֣/נִי | tivelaeni | HVqj3fs/Sp1cs |
swallow me | may she swallow me | may she swallow me |
H1104-30 |
Psalms 106:17 | וַ/תִּבְלַ֣ע | vativela | HC/Vqw3fs |
and-swallowed | and she swallowed | and it swallowed |
H1104-23 |
Psalms 107:27 | תִּתְבַּלָּֽע | titebala | HVti3fs |
is swallowed up | she will swallow herself up | is swallowed up |
H1104-05 |
Psalms 124:3 | בְּלָע֑וּ/נוּ | belaunu | HVqp3cp/Sp1cp |
they would have swallowed us | they swallowed us | they would have swallowed us |
H1104-19 |
Proverbs 1:12 | נִ֭בְלָעֵ/ם | nivelaem | HVqh1cp/Sp3mp |
Let us swallow them up | Let us swallow them | Let us swallow them |
H1104-36 |
Proverbs 19:28 | יְבַלַּע | yevala | HVpi3ms |
devours | he will swallow up | he will swallow up |
H1104-38 |
Proverbs 21:20 | יְבַלְּעֶֽ/נּוּ | yevaleenu | HVpi3ms/Sp3ms |
swallows it up | He will engulf him | will swallow it up |
H1104-13 |
Job 2:3 | לְ/בַלְּע֥/וֹ | levaleo | HR/Vpc/Sp3ms |
to swallow him | to swallow him up | to swallow him |
H1104-10 |
Job 7:19 | בִּלְעִ֥/י | bilei | HVqc/Sp1cs |
I swallow | my swallowing | my swallowing |
H1104-38 |
Job 8:18 | יְבַלְּעֶ֥/נּוּ | yevaleenu | HVpi3ms/Sp3ms |
it-swallows-him | He will engulf him | He will swallow him |
H1104-29 |
Job 10:8 | וַֽ/תְּבַלְּעֵֽ/נִי | vatevaleeni | HC/Vpw2ms/Sp1cs |
and you destroy me | and you engulfed me | and you engulf me |
H1104-03 |
Job 20:15 | בָּ֭לַע | bala | HVqp3ms |
he-swallowed | Swallower | he swallowed |
H1104-40 |
Job 20:18 | יִבְלָ֑ע | yivela | HVqi3ms |
he will swallow | he will swallow | it will swallow |
H1104-39 |
Job 37:20 | יְבֻלָּֽע | yevula | HVPi3ms |
he shall be swallowed up | he will be engulfed | he will be engulfed |
H1104-07 |
Lamentations 2:2 | בִּלַּ֨ע | bila | HVpp3ms |
has swallowed up | he utterly engulfed | he utterly swallowed |
H1104-07 |
Lamentations 2:5 | בִּלַּ֣ע | bila | HVpp3ms |
he has swallowed up | he utterly engulfed | he utterly swallowed |
H1104-07 |
Lamentations 2:5 | בִּלַּע֙ | bila-2 | HVpp3ms |
he has swallowed up | he utterly engulfed | he utterly swallowed |
H1104-17 |
Lamentations 2:8 | מִ/בַּלֵּ֑עַ | mibalea | HR/Vpc |
from destroying | from utterly engulfing | from destroying |
H1104-09 |
Lamentations 2:16 | בִּלָּ֑עְנוּ | bilaenu | HVpp1cp |
we have swallowed | we have swallowed up | we have swallowed |
H1104-22 |
Ecclesiastes 10:12 | תְּבַלְּעֶֽ/נּוּ | tevaleenu | HVpi3fs/Sp3ms |
swallow up him | she will engulf him | it will engulf him |